Acton Power Choice (APC), which launched in Fall 2017, is Acton’s bulk purchasing program for electricity.
UPDATE: the second contract period for Acton Power Choice began in September 2019, with a new supplier, Constellation. See ActonPowerChoice.com for details.
Enabled by state legislation, Massachusetts communities can design their own Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs to purchase electricity, often saving consumers a bit of money,* and allowing municipalities to create electricity supply options that work best for the localities. Local programs often include a “greening up” of the community’s electricity supply with more renewable power than the utilities are legally required to provide.
* The Department of Public Utilities requires a disclaimer saying that savings (compared with the Eversource Basic Service price) cannot be guaranteed.
UPDATE: For the new APC contract period (September 2019–September 2022), APC offers three options for participation:
• APC GREEN, which provides 100% New England–sourced renewable energy (from solar, wind, and low-impact hydropower)
• APC Standard (the program default), providing an additional 10% renewable energy above the legally required amount; for the balance of 2019, that will total to 24% renewable sourcing
• APC Basic, which provides the legally required 14% (for 2019) renewable content
If you already participate in Acton Power Choice, you need do nothing to continue your participation with the new supplier for the program.
Green Acton strongly encourages those who can to “opt up” to APC GREEN by calling 1.833.392.4654 with your Eversource account number at the ready.
It’s important to know that the APC prices are good for three years, whereas Eversource enters into new supply contracts every six months, and thus, changes its pricing twice a year. This accounts for the volatility of utility pricing (which typically rises in the winter); Acton Power Choice participation irons out that volatility over the course of the contract. Customers are free to opt out of the program at any time.
Eversource will continue to provide delivery and billing services, which means: (1) customers will still call Eversource about any problems, and (2) the monthly bill will still come from Eversource; the difference on the bill is that the supplier will be listed as Dynegy.
Participation in Acton Power Choice GREEN delivers these benefits:
• drives demand that fosters development of more renewable energy sources in New England
• creates local and regional jobs in the fast-growing renewable energy sector
• protects land and water resources through the environmental performance standards this option requires for energy generation
• reduces your (and our community’s) greenhouse gas emissions, which pollute the atmosphere and exacerbate global climate change
Learn more about Acton Power Choice at ActonPowerChoice.com. Questions? Contact the Town’s CCA consultant, Peregrine Energy, at 1.844.379.9933.
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APC History
The initial APC program (2017–2019), with supplier Dynegy, featured two levels of participation for consumers (residents or businesses): Acton Power Choice Standard, which featured a rate slightly below that of Eversource Basic’s current rate, and an additional 5% New England–sourced renewable energy, and Acton Power Choice GREEN, which featured 100% New England–sourced renewable energy from solar, wind, and low-impact hydropower for a slight premium above APC Standard rates. It’s worth noting that APC’s initial contract with the new supplier, Dynegy, is good for 24 months, through September 2019, whereas Eversource enters into new supply contracts every six months. This accounts for the volatility of utility pricing (which typically rises in the winter); Acton Power Choice participation irons out that volatility over the course of the contract. Consumers who were Eversource Basic customers as of September 2017 were automatically enrolled in the APC Standard option.
Here’s more background on APC programs.
Click over on the news links on the right to keep up with the latest on APC.